Circuit breaker actuator arrangement



July 21, 1953 E. T. PLATZ CIRCUIT BREAKER ACTUATOR ARRANGEMENT l0 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Marn 10, 1949 INVENTOR. 5L 4 J 42, M 9 M Turn July 21, 1953 E. T. PLATZ CIRCUIT BREAKER ACTUATOR ARRANGEMENT 1O Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 10, 1949 3 5.4 I l l 15%.- @m mm Mm m0 Q0 Hull, 0: N: mm 0m. 3 9 h J z momfl or mo. 3 1 91: wr Q I I I ll 1 Q2 mr IUQP m9 not 175. iuow mo. mm. 2 m

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July 21, 1953 E. 1". PLATZ CIRCUIT BREAKER ACTUATORARRANGEMENT Filed March 10; 19,49

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Patented July 21, 1953 CIRCUIT BREAKER ACTUATOR ARRANGEMENT Elwood T. Platz, Detroit, Mich., assignor to BullDog Electric Products Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of West Virginia .Application March 10, 1949, Serial No. 80,710

10 Claims.

This application relates to circuit breakers. It discloses a circuit breaker having a manually operable handle or actuator arrangement operatively connected by a control arrangement or operating mechanism to a contactor for opening and closing the circuit, with a latch whose automatic release automatically opens the circuit. The latch normally inhibits opening movement except when the latter is caused manually, as by movement of the handle arrangement.

It is a particular object of this invention to provide a novel formof manually operable actuator arrangement for a control arrangement of a circuit breaker, characterized by its being applicable to an enclosed circuit breaker selectively in either of two positions and thus selectively movable. in either of two directions whereby a handle of a breaker is movable in the same linear direction for the same operation, when the breaker is mounted on a panelboard, whether the breaker is on the left side of the panelboard or on the right side. Thus, a left hand breaker on a vertical panelboard will have its handle movable up for closing and down for opening, and so will a right hand breaker, despite that the handles and the breakers are identical, and this result is obtained by selectively positioning the same handle on the same breaker in either of two positions, depending on the position of the breaker on the panelboard.

The invention may be embodied in numerous forms. .Three such are shown in the appended drawings.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 shows two breakers made according to one embodiment and arranged asif in a panel.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are sectional elevation views as if taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the breaker parts in various positions, as indicated.

Fig. 5 is a view asif in the direction of the arrow 5 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 6, '7 and 8 are fragmentary views of certain operating parts, with Fig. 8 being a sectional view as if on line 88 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 shows two breakers made according to a second embodiment and arranged as if in a panel. Y

Fig. 10 shows one of such breakers to larger scale.

Fig. 12 shows two breakers made according to a third embodiment, and arranged as if in a panel.

Fig. 13 shows one of suchbreakers to larger scale.

Fig. 11 is a section view on line llll of Fig. I

. 2 Fig. 14 is a section view on line l4l4 of Fig. 13.

The embodiment of Figs. 1-8

Referring to Figs. 1-8 of the drawings, it will be seen that Figs. 2, 3 and 4 show a base 40 at the left end of which are mounted three line terminal binding posts 42 connected by straps 43 to stationary contacts 44 adapted to be engaged by contact tips 46 of three vertically movable contactors 48 pivotally mounted by means of loose or lost motion pivots 52 on mounting lugs 54 and constantly urged up or clockwise by biasing springs 56 and connected by flexible connectors 58 to three electro-magnetic tripping coils 62 connected to three load or branch conductor binding screws 66.

The circuit from a line terminal 42 to a load conductor binding post 66 includes the following A transverse axle 68, suitably insulated from has alined openings 14 through which passes a' horizontally disposed movable shaft or pin 15, shown in Fig. 6, which also passes through camming slots 16 of a horizontally disposed latching arm 18, shown in Fig. 2, pivoted in the frame I2 at T9. Axle 68 which passes through and connects the three contactors 48 also passes through vertically slotted portions 95 of the frame 12, as shown in Fig. 2, and is operatively connected to the lower end of a vertically arranged actuated element 96 on whose upper end is the horizontal pin 15, Fig. 6.

Latching arm '58 is latched at an end by a latchi'ng bar HES, Fig. 2, which is journalled at its ends in the frame 12, Fig. 7, and has immovably fastened to it, as by screws 508a at the ends of latch bar H38, a trip bar ills of insulation. Loosely coiled around thelatching bar N58 is a coil spring, not shown, tending to bias the assembly NIB-40!) counterclockwise, Fig. 2, to latching position. Loosely hooked around the edge of the trip bar 499 are three armatures I Hi, Fig. 2, for the three tripping electro-magnets v32. Armatures llil are pivotally mounted on lugs 54 at I I2, and are normally biased upwardly by springs I I4. Latching bar m3 has a notch I36 which cooperates with the latched end it! of latching arm '18 for releasing 3 the latching arm I3, and the pin I5, and thus the mechanism as a whole.

When the latching bar I08 is in its latching position, Fig. 2, the latch extension I3I of the latching arm 73 is held up and prevented from moving down by the latch bar I08. In this way arm I8 is held immovable and thus holds pin I5 immovable and prevents the actuated element 98 and the contactors 38 from moving up.

However, when any trip magnet '62 is energized, it pulls down its armature I I and rocks the trip bar I09 to rock-the latching bar I08 clockwise to present notch I30 of the bar I08 to the end I3I of the latching arm I8, releasing the latter and permitting it to be free to be rocked clockwise on its pivotal axis I9. The freed arm I8 no longer holds the pin I5 immovable and permits the lifting of pin I5 and the element 98 and the contactors .8 by springs 56, a trip action.

A relatching spring I32 connects arm I8 at I33 to frame I2 at I34, and at I35 is shown a stop for limiting movement of arm I8 counterclockwise under the bias of such spring I32.

It will be noted that pivot I0 of arm I8 is nearer the pin I5 than latch bar I08, so as to minimize latch pressure at I30-I3I to be small in relation to the pressure of pin I5 on arm I8.

Manual actuation arrangement For manual actuation of the mechanism just described there is provided, as shown in Figs. 1-8, a manually operable actuator including a sliding plate 20I of insulation material having downwardly projecting forked lugs 202 engaging opposite ends of the pin or shaft 75. Slider plate 20I is provided near an end with two slots or notches 203a-203b selectively receiving in either one of them the pilot end 204 of a threaded pin 205 which may be threaded into either one of two holes 206a--206b in the flange 207 of a handle 268 on the opposite side of the cover 209 of the casing 2I0 from the slider plate itself 20I.

The cover 209 has arcuate clearance slots 2H for the pin 205.

As can be seen from Fig. l the handles 208 in all cases are symmetricall arranged whether the breakers be on the right or the left side of the panel, and all handles move the same way, up for circuit closing, down for circuit opening. This desirable object is here attained without in any way requiring different arrangements of mechanism parts within the breakers simply by selectively positioning the handles with respect to the operating mechanism A inside the breakers, the

position selected depending upon whether the breakers be left or right in the panel.

The opposite end of the slider plate 20I is provided with on and oif markings 220 adapted to be made visible through a window or opening 22I in the casing cover 209.

The handle 208 is centrally pivoted to the cover 205 by a shouldered screw 223 projecting down through the cover 209 and into a slot 224 of the slider plate 20I so that such screw guides and limits motion of the slider plate as the latter slides on the upper or bight portion of the frame I2.

Rotation of the handle about its center pivot 223 in a proper direction causes sliding movement of the slider plate 20I whose forked lugs 202 cause movement of actuator pin or shaft left or right in slots IE of latching bar I8 and in clearance openings I i of frame I2.

The forked lugs 292, however, permit pin I5 to move upwardly for automatic circuit opening as illustrated in Fig. 3 without requiring movement of lugs 202, actuator 20I or handle 208.

Operation A. When the parts are in the on or closed circuit position, as shown in Fig. 2, and with arm I8 releasably latched at II3I by the latching bar I08, the horizontal pin I5 rests in the lower and horizontal portions 16a of the slots I6 of the arm I8. Thus the parts are held stable in the on position despite the bias of the springs 56 tending to move the contactors 48, the element 96 and, therefore, the horizontal pin I5 upwardly.

Since, for upward movement of the contactors 48, the horizontal pin I5 must move up, and since the pin I4 is held against such movement by arm I8 at 16a, the contactors 48 are held in the circuit closed position, against the biasing of springs 56 which bias them to the open circuit position.

B. When the handle 208 is moved down so as to move actuator 20I to the left, as shown in Fig. 4, to the off position, the connection between actuator 2N and pin I5 causes pin I5 to move to the left to Fig. 4. Pin I5 is guided by the upper edge I627 of slot I6 of arm I8. As pin I5 moves to the left, springs 56 raise the contactors 48 to open the circuit.

Travel of the horizontal pin I5 is stopped by the left end I60 of slot 76 in arm I8. Arm I8 cannot move since it is releasably held up by the latching bar I98.

When the handle 208 is moved up to the on position. Fig. 2, from the off position, Fig. 4, the actuator 20I will be moved to the right, and in doing so will cause the horizontal pin 15 to move laterally to the right and down in the slot I0 of arm I8. In doing so the pin I5 will move the element 96 to the right and down, moving the contactors 48 back to the stationary contacts 44 and thus closing the circuit. All parts are now in the circuit closed position.

C. In the event of an overload in any pole, with the parts in the closed circuit position, the electro-magnet 82 of the overloaded pole will be energized to move its armature H0 down and thus move the trip bar I09 down to rotate the latch bar I08 so that notch I30 of the latch bar I08 is presented to the end I3I of the arm I8. Arm I8 is now free to pivot about its pivot I9 on the frame I2, and no longer holds pin I5. Springs 56 now move contactors 48 up. Element 96, which is fixed to th contactors 48 through the axle 68 will also move up, and in doing so will move the horizontal pin I5 up in the forked lugs 202. The horizontal pin I5 will rock arm I8 clockwise about its pivot I9; the latching end I3I, which is no longer releasably held by the latch bar I08, will pass down past notch I30 of latch bar I 08, as the portion of arm I8 containing the slot 76 will move up with the horizontal pin I5, as shown in Fig. 3.

Automatic relatching and actuator resetting The latch return and actuator return spring I32, Fig. 3, thereupon exerts its influence on the arm I8 to rotate it counterclockwise about its pivot I9 to raise the latch end I3I of the arm I8 and at the same time to lower the slotted end of the arm I8. Latch end I3I of the arm I8 will rise until it is stopped by stop I of the frame I2. The slotted end of the arm I8 which contains the lateral pin I5 will be moved down. The upper edge of slot I6 will now cam pin I5 down and to the left, to the position of Fig. 4. Meanwhile the deenergized electro-magnet 62 will have allowed the armature M0 to move up and release thetrip bar |09 to the action of the coil spring, not shown, which rotates the trip bar I09 and latch bar I08 so that the latch at |38| 3| is reestablished. The movement terminates with the parts in the open circuit position and the arm 18 releasably relatched by the latch bar I08.

The actuator ,20| and the handle 208 meanwhile have been moved from the on to the off position due to the movement of pin to the left responding to the influence of the latch return spring I32. Pin 15 in moving to the left will slide actuator to the left and will move handle 208 down. All parts are now in the off position, Fig. 4.

The embodiment of Figs. 9-11 Figs. 9-11 show a manual actuation arrangement including a sliding plate of insulation material having downwardly projecting forked lugs 302 engaging opposite ends of the pin or shaft 15. Slider plate 30| is provided with a, in 304 projecting upwardly through a slot 305 of the cover 306 of the breaker. The cooperation of the slider pin 304 and the cover slot 305 serves to guide the slider so that it moves rectilinearly.

The cover is provided with an internally threaded shouldered rivet 308 into which is threaded a pin 309 which forms a pivot for a handle 3|0 whose flat plate portion 3|| is provided with two slots 3|2a and 3|2b selectively receiving the upper end of the pin 304 of the slider plate 30| The handle may be positioned on the cover 306 with either one of the two slots 312a and 3|2b receiving the pin 304. Thus, as can be seen from Fig. 9, the handles (H0 in all cases are symmetrically arranged whether the breakers be on the right or the left side of the panel and the handles 3|0 move the same way, up for circuit closing, down for circuit opening. This desirable object is here attained without in any Way requiring different arrangements of mechanism parts within the breakers, simply by selectively positioning the handles with respect to the operating mechanism inside the breakers, the position selected depending upon whether th breakers be left or right in the panel. Rotation of the handle 3|0 about its pivot 309 in a proper direction causes sliding movement of the slider plate 30| by cooperation of the handle slot 3I2a or 3|2b and the slider pin 304 and as the slider plate 30| moves, its forked lugs 302 cause movement of the actuator in or shaft 15 left or right, in the slots 16 of th latching bar 18 and in clearance openings 14 of frame I2.

The embodiment of Figs. 12-14 Figs. 12-14 show a manual actuation arrangement including a sliding plate 40| of insulation material having downwardly projecting forked lugs 402 engaging opposite ends of the pin or shaft 15. Slider plate MI is provided with a pin 403 projecting upwardly through a slot 404 in the cover of the breaker and the cooperation of pin 403 and slot 404 insure the slider plate moving rectilinearly.

A handle 405 is pivotally connected to the cover by means of a pin 406 threadedinto an internally threaded rivet 401 attached to the cover.

Handle 405 has a downwardly projectingdriving pin 409 loosely fitting into a hole of a fiat plate 4|0 below which is a flat washer 4| I having an off center slot M2 and having a hole M3 which receives the threaded pin 406 which secures the handl to the cover, and having a hole to receive pin 409 of the handle. The slot 4|2 of the washer 4 receives the upper end of the slider plate pin 403 to translate handle movement into sliding movement of the slider plate.-

simply by selectively positioning the washer 4| with respect to the pin 406, the position selected depending upon whether the breaker be left or right in the panel. Rotation of the handle and washer about its pivot 406 in a proper direction causes rotation of the washer MI and in turn sliding movement of the slider plate 40| whose forked lugs 402 cause movement of the actuator pin or shaft 75 left or right in slots 16 of latching bar 78 and in clearance openings 14 of frame 12.

. The foregoing are but three illustrations or embodiments of the invention, the scope of which may best be understood by reference to the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. An actuator arrangement adapted to be operatively connected to an encased circuit breaker having a contactor and an operating mechanism, comprising a handle outside the breaker casing, means passing through said casing for connecting said handle to said mechanism, said handle and said mechanism having formations for engaging and cooperating with said means, the formations of the handle being duplicated to enable said connecting means to be positioned selectively in either of two positions, enabling the handle to be positioned relative to and connected to said mechanism in either of two different positions and to move relative to said mechanism in either of two different directions selectively for moving said mechanism in one specific manner and for one specific operation.

2. An actuator arrangement adapted to be operatively connected to an encased circuit breaker having a contactor and an operating mechanism, comprising a handle outside the breaker casing, means passing through said casing for connecting said handle to said mechanism, said handle and said mechanism having formations for engaging and cooperating with said means, the formations of the handle being duplicated to enable said connecting means to be positioned selectively in either of two positions, enabling the handle to be positioned relative to and connected to said mechanism ineither of two different positions and to move relative to said mechanism in either of two different directions selectively for moving said mechanism in one specific manner and for one specific operation, said means being in the and said mechanism having formations .for en;

gaging and cooperating with said means, the formations of the handle being duplicated to enable said connecting means to be positioned selectively in either of two positions, enabling the handle to be positioned relative to and connected to said mechanism in either of two different positions and to move relative to said mechanism in either of two different directions selectively for moving said mechanism in one specific manner and for one specific operation, said means being in the form of a pin, the formations of the handle for engaging said pin being in the form of one or more slots.

4. An actuator arrangement adapted to be operatively connected to an encased circuit breaker having a contactor and an operating mechanism, comprising a casing cover, a slider plate having means for connecting it to said mechanism, said plate being under said cover, a handle above said cover, and pin means, passing thru said cover and connecting said handle and plate for detach ably and operatively connecting said handle and plate thru said cover, said handle and said plate having duplicate formations for selectively receiving said pin means and enabling the handle to be selectively connected to said plate in either of two different positions relative to said plate, and to move in either of two different directions selectively for moving said plate in one specific direction.

5. An actuator arrangement adapted to be operatively connected to an encased circuit breaker having a contactor and an operating mechanism, comprising a casing cover, a slider plate having means for connecting it to said mechanism, said plate being under said cover, a handle above said cover, and a pin means passing thru said cover and connecting said handle and plate for detachably and operatively connecting said handle and plate thru said cover, said handle and said plate having duplicate formations for selectively receiving said pin means and enabling the handle to be selectively connected to said plate in either of two different positions relative to said plate, and to move in either of two different directions selectively for moving said plate in one specific direction, the formations of the plate being in the form of notches receiving said pin means, and those of the handle being in the form of threaded holes receiving a threaded portion u of the pin means, the latter having a head eX- posed to the front of the breaker.

6. An actuator arrangement adapted to be operatively connected to an encased circuit breaker having a contactor and an operating mechanism, comprising a casing cover, a slider plate having means for connecting it to said mechanism, said plate being under said cover, a handle above said cover, and a pin means passing thru said cover and connecting said handle and plate for detachably and operatively connecting said handle and plate thru said cover, said handle and said plate having duplicate formations for selectively receiving said pin means and enabling the handle to be selectively connected to said plate in either of two different positions relative to said plate, and to move in either of two difierent directions selectively for moving said plate in one specific direction, the plate having a downwardly projecting lug for operatively engaging said mechanism and moving it as the plate is caused to slide by movement of the handle.

7. An actuator arrangement adapted to be operatively connected to an encased circuit breaker having a contactor and an operating mechanism,

comprising a casing cover, a slider plate having means for connecting it to said mechanism, said plate being under said cover, a handle above said cover, and a pin means passing thru said cover and connecting said handle and plate for detachably and operatively connecting said handle and plate thru said cover, said handle and said plate having duplicate formations for selectively receiving said pin means and enabling the handle to be selectively connected to said plate in either of two different positions relative to said plate, and to move in either of two different directions selectively for moving said plate in one specific direction, and means for guiding said plate as it slides.

8. An actuator arrangement adapted to be oneratively connected to an encased circuit breaker having a contactor and an operating mechanism, comprising a casing cover, a slider plate having means for connecting it to said mechanism, said plate being under said cover, a handle above said cover, and a pin means passing thru said cover and connecting said handle and plate for detachably and operatively connecting said handle and plate thru said cover, said handle and said plate having duplicate formations for selectively receiving said pin means and enabling the handle to be selectively connected to said plate in either of two difierent positions relative to said plate, and to move in either of two different directions selectively for moving said plate in one specific direction, the formations of the plate being in the form of notches receiving said pin means, and those of the handle being in the form of threaded holes receiving a threaded portion of the pin means, the latter having a head exposed to the front of the breaker, the plate having a downwardly projecting lug for operatively engaging said mechanism and moving it as the plate is caused to slide by movement of the handle.

9. An actuator arrangement adapted to be operatively connected to an encased circuit breaker having a contactor and an operating mechanism, comprising a casing cover, a slider plate having means for connecting it to said mechanism, said plate being under said cover, a handle above said cover, and a pin means passing thru said cover and connecting said handle and plate for detachably and operatively connecting said handle and plate thru said cover, said handle and said plate having duplicate formations for selectively receiving said pin means and enabling the handle to be selectively connected to said plate in either of two difierent positions relative to said plate, and to move in either of two different directions selectively for moving said plate in one specific direction, the formations of the plate being in the form of notches receiving said pin means, and those of the handle being in the form of threaded holes receiving a threaded portion of the pin means, the latter having a head exposed to the front of the breaker, the plate having a downwardly projecting lug for operatively engaging said mechanism and moving it as the plate is caused to slide by movement of the handle, and means for guiding said plate as it slides.

10. An actuator arrangement adapted to be operatively connected to an encased circuit breaker having a contactor and an operating mechanism, comprising a casing cover, a slider plate having means for connecting it to said mechanism, said plate being under said cover, a handle above said cover, and a pin means passing thru said cover and connecting said handle and plate for detachably and operatively connecting said handle and plate thru said cover, said handle and said plate having duplicate formations for selectively receiving said pin means and enabling the handle to -loe selectively connected to said plate in either of two different positions relative to said plate, and to move in either of two different directions selectively for moving said plate in One specific direction, the formations of the handle being in the form of notches selectively receiving said pin means, the latter being mounted in the slider plate.

ELWOOD T. PLATZ.

5 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 2,289,643 

